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Sound Focus Meditation Exercise

There are sounds all around us, almost all the time... Traffic, birds, dogs or people outside, the coffee maker, a fan, a chair creaking... But these sounds of our every day existance are usually tuned out, and this is generally a good thing. After all, if we paid concious attention to every little noise, all the time, it would be far too distracting! But this exercise is specifically designed to help you really pay attention to the sounds around you, to bring you in touch with your environment and to focus on one sense in particular - your sense of hearing.

This exercise can be done almost anywhere and any time. As long as you have a safe place to "check out" for five minutes (ie: any place you would feel safe taking a cat nap) where you will not be directly disturbed (no one is going to specifically try to get your attention), and five to ten minutes to spare, you can do this meditation! It doesn't matter how crowded, noisy, or chaotic the environment is, though something a bit less hectic may be easier for you in the beginning.

For this particular meditation, you specifically do not want any sort of "meditation music", and you should not be in a state or position which will make you likely to fall asleep during the meditation.
If you are going to be using the guided meditation track, you should choose a location where you will be able to listen to the recording without headphones.

You will need:

• A safe place to sit down, undisturbed, where you don't have to be too alert to your surroundings, other than sounds.

• A timer or alarm, such as a kitchen timer or alarm on your phone, computer, or other device. (unless you are using the guided meditation, which keeps track of the time for you.)

• Pen and paper, or computer/device with a memo, notepad, or word processing application.

Once you have these things, and are ready to begin...

• Turn off any unnecessary, extra noise generating items, such as the radio or television, if you can.
If there is music or television or other such things that other people are using, don't worry about it.

• Find a place to sit down. On the floor or ground, cross-legged (as in modified lotus position), is ideal, but pretty much anywhere will work.

• If you are going to be using the guided meditation, you should start the track at this point, after you have read through the page once (or re-start it, if you have paused it to read this page).
Remember to make sure there is nothing else on your playlist that might jar you out of your relaxed state after the guided meditation track ends.
The guided meditation will take you through the rest.

• Set your timer for five minutes. You will probably want to have the timer right by you, so you will be able to turn it off as soon as it sounds, so as not to jolt you out of your headspace too abruptly. It is also a good idea to choose a tone that will not be too abrupt or harsh, if available.

• Sit up straight, tilting your head and tucking in your chin so that your neck and spine are aligned.

• Place your hands in a comfortable, relaxed position on your lap with your palms up/exposed. They will probably naturally tilt inward, with your hands slightly cupped. This is fine. Do not force your hands into a a more open or flat position - just let them rest naturally.

• Start by using your chime, bell, drum, trigger word/sound, and/or a simple centering exercise (such as this one), to get yourself into the proper headspace. (Basically, whatever you typically do to enter meditation/trance space) and close your eyes.

• Once you are in meditation space, with your eyes still closed, reach out with your sense of hearing and focus on the sounds you hear.
If you find that other thoughts come to you or intrude during the meditation, simply ackowledge the thought and then let it go, returning to your task at hand.

• Start with the most distinct/closest/loudest sounds, and then expand your senses to include more distant or indistinct sounds.

• First, concentrate on separating the sounds from one another, and experience each, individual sound. Note (in your mind - the writing part is after the meditation part) the qualities of each sound. Is it shrill? Booming? Sharp? Echoing? Deep? Something else? Initially, do not try to identify the source, or "story" about the sounds. Just experience them as they are.

• Next, start to notice sets of sounds - Discover those that seem to go together as a part of the same source. Note how they fit together and interact with one another. Do they have a rythym? A specific pattern? Is there anything else unique about them?

• Finally, focus your mind on determining what the sounds and sets of sounds may be caused by. Cars going by? Children playing? Television or music? Machinery? It is alright if you end up mistaken about the source. The important thing is experiencing and processing the sounds.

• Once your timer goes off, slowly come back to "reality", and, when you are ready, open your eyes and readjust to your surroundings.

• As soon as you feel ready to do so (it should be the very next thing you do!), write or type out all the things that you can remember noticing during the meditation about the sounds you heard and your thoughts regarding them.